Long-lived particulate or gaseous structure in Saturn's outer magnetosphere

Voyager 1 and 2 and Pioneer 11 data on the variations in the number density of low-energy plasma ions in the outer Saturn magnetosphere are discussed. Low and high latitude observations are compared in reference to the position of the spacecraft crossing of the field line. Abrupt decreases in the number density interrupted the tendancy for the number density to increase with spacecraft approach to Saturn. All three spacecraft are concluded to have encountered the same magnetospheric structure in the field line, with absorbers being present in the equatorial plane. The absorbers are suggested to be either gas or debris, which may be detectable visibly or with occultation techniques.